Meet Mark

Let me introduce myself. My name is Mark Sisson. I’m 63 years young. I live and work in Malibu, California. In a past life I was a professional marathoner and triathlete. Now my life goal is to help 100 million people get healthy. I started this blog in 2006 to empower people to take full responsibility for their own health and enjoyment of life by investigating, discussing, and critically rethinking everything we’ve assumed to be true about health and wellness...

Smart Fuel: Macadamia Oil

What can compare to the sweet, buttery mac nut’s tender embrace? As far as nuts, seeds, and pseudo-nuts go, its fatty acid profile is unparalleled. Throw a handful into a bowl of Greek yogurt, along with blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries (or any berry, really), and you’ve got yourself a rich, masterful dessert with minimal linoleic acid. And it’s got good amounts of magnesium, manganese, thiamine, copper, and iron. Pack a baggy full and you’ve got yourself the perfect trail food for day long hikes. Suffice it to say, they’re my go-to snack when I’m feeling a bit peckish throughout the day.

But that’s not why I’m here today – to extoll the virtues of the macadamia nut.

I tend to get a little carried away when it comes to those little mouth bombs of satiety, so I apologize. Today’s post concerns the mac nut’s lifeblood: macadamia oil. I know what I’ve said about seed oils in the past, but this is different. I liken the concept of macadamia nut oil to that of olive oil; they are inherently, obviously, blatantly fatty foods, and extracting said fat isn’t a stretch, nor does it require industrial solvents and complex processes (they may do so to increase production and efficiency, but you can crush a mac nut and leave an oily residue; you can’t do the same for a kernel of corn to produce corn oil). In fact, the layman extracts his own virgin, first-press macadamia nut oil every time he bites into one. You can feel the macadamia oil droplets oozing out of the obliterated nut mass and into your mouth. Being the most energy (specifically, fat-derived energy) dense nut of all, it’s totally saturated with the stuff.

Macadamia oil imparts a mild, buttery, rather macadamia-y flavor to foods, but it’s mild enough to use for homemade mayonnaise. It is highly shelf-stable and resistant to heat-induced oxidation; in one test, it bested rice bran oil, walnut oil, sesame oil, almond oil, avocado oil, grapeseed oil, and hazelnut oil in an oxidative potential test. Of all the seed and nut oils, macadamia oil withstood temperatures up to 120 degrees C (about 250 degrees F) without significant oxidation. It also excelled at the shelf stability test, being the only oil tested that exceeded the manufacturer’s given “best-before” date. I rarely expect companies to be totally accurate, but to be completely wrong in the opposite direction is a nice surprise! Keep your macadamia oil in a dark bottle and in the fridge, or a cool dark place, and I bet it’ll stay fresh even longer. I’m still wary of doing any heavy duty sauteeing or high heat grilling using macadamia oil as the primary fat, but it looks to be pretty stable as far as oils go with a smoke point of anywhere between 210 and 234 degrees C (410-453 degrees F), depending on who you ask.

Macadamia oil owes its stability mostly to its extremely low omega-6 fatty acid content (the lowest of all traditional cooking oils, next to coconut oil), high monounsaturated fatty acid content (it runs over 80% MUFA, mostly oleic acid, which is higher than olive oil’s content), and a decent portion of saturated fat (around 16%, which is pretty good for a nut oil). Omega-6 linoleic acid is the most unstable, so having almost none of it makes macadamia oil superior to most. Macadamia oil also contains varying amounts of antioxidants which appear to confer some antioxidative (surprise, surprise) support. One study of vitamin E in Hawaiian cultivars found that while the tocopherol content was basically nonexistent, comparatively higher amounts of tocotrienols (T3) were detected in samples of macadamia oil extracts, including appreciable amounts of alpha-, beta-, and gamma-tocotrienols (no delta-tocotrienols were found). Though the bioavailability of tocotrienols after oral ingestion is lower than that of tocopherols, tocotrienols are more potent antioxidants. Besides, we should be focused on reducing oxidation of the fat we’re about to consume, rather than consume oxidized fats and then try to mitigate the damage by consuming antioxidants. Tocotrienols in macadamia oil seem to achieve that. Consider that walnut oil contains some of the highest levels of tocopherols and yet is the most prone to rancidity and oxidation. Don’t think that tocotrienols are totally useless orally, though; orally ingested tocotrienols have evinced bioavailability in a number of tissues and organs.

That same study also found that macadamia nut oils are rich sources of squalene, a naturally occurring antioxidant present in human skin surface lipids that protects us from sun-induced lipid peroxidation. It’s primarily used in our bodies to synthesize both cholesterol and vitamin D, but its role in macadamia nuts may be to prevent oxidative damage – kinda like how it does to our skin cell lipids. At any rate, it’s a complex relationship, the one between fatty acid profile, antioxidant content, and stability, but it can be said with reasonable certainty that monounsaturated fats are more stable than polyunsaturated fats, and antioxidants play some role in oxidative protection of fats.

Another feature of macadamia oil is its palmitoleic acid content. Palmitoleic acid is an omega-7 monounsaturated fat; it’s a common constituent of human adipose tissue, and we synthesize it from saturated palmitic acid. The most prominent fatty acid in human sebum, the natural moisturizer produced by the body, is palmitoleic acid. It has positive effects on blood lipids (without the oxidative potential of the highly unsaturated fatty acids that are so often lauded for their similarly “positive effects”) and, given its resemblance to sebum, makes for an effective moisturizer. I even tried shaving with macadamia oil to great effect. A half dozen drops applied to my shower-softened facial hair provided adequate protection from my razor. Plus, without all that cream or gel, I could see where I was going with the blade.

What about varying grades of macadamia oil – is there yet a caste system in place, like with olive oil? Not obviously. It’s still a relative newcomer to the scene, and most macadamia nut oils are fairly expensive and boutique-y. I’ve been sampling one from Whole Foods, the name of which I’m not sure (and I don’t have it in front of me), and it tastes fine. You could always hop on Amazon and see what the reviews are saying about the different mac nut oils. Given the stability of the oil and the lack of market saturation, I imagine most macadamia oils you come across will be edible. Just look for macadamia oils that actually taste like macadamia nuts; you’ll know it by the buttery flavor and the golden color. Perhaps in a year or two we’ll be able to produce a comprehensive “Definitive Guide to Macadamia Oils,” but not quite yet.

The popular Slanker’s Grass-Fed Meat folks have the “Oils of Aloha,” which include both regular and flavored macadamia oils.

In closing, I think macadamia oil has its place in Primal living. If you’re using olive oil, there’s no reason to exclude macadamia oil, and if you’re looking for a more neutral salad or light cooking fat, macadamia nut oil seems to fit the bill.

What kind of macadamia oil do you use (I’m always on the hunt for new stuff)? Any brands people should look out for? Let us know your mac oil experiences in the comments!

131 thoughts on “Smart Fuel: Macadamia Oil”

We’ve purchased macnut oil directly from Oils of Aloha and it’s a nice, mild oil. I also tried the NOW macnut oil, and it had a very strong flavor (too strong for my tastes, although others might like it).

In my shopping list there is a blank that reads, “What ever Mark is talking about this week” Here is yet another thing I’ve never tried that is bound to become a favorite. I’m already thinking of good uses for mac nut oil.

When eating macadamia nuts just remember not to eat too many. Depending on the brand some of them can be quite salty, which can make you thirsty for water, and water & macadamia nuts is not a good combination. Here’s a video of a near fatal incident of macadamia nut over ingestion that required an emergency surgery, just skip ahead to the 4:00 minute mark, or the 18:16 mark for the outcome. http://www.bcdb.com/cartoon_video/111906-Explosive_Situation_or_Dont_Make_It.html

This is the best oil ever, better than olive oil of course. Once you test it, you wont settle for any other oil again. We are a South African company and supply it to any part of this world . We also do bulk in 200 litre drums. Feel free to order. leave a comment.

Please advise of how you process the mac nuts, cold expeller process or? What is the time from bottling to shipping? Do you use dark glass or plastic? Do you ship to Toronto Canada if so through whom do you distribute? Pricing info appreciated.

250 degrees stable – that’s good as mild heat cooking with olive oil, yes? and can you tell me where i can get financing for the purchase of this lovely stuff? 😉

if you can get raw milk, make a little cheese and then grab the oh-so-versatile whey – making that suggested mayonnaise with a little whey (to ferment it a bit) and the mac. nut oil would undoubtedly be killer! we did this with olive oil and it was tasty provided you like the taste of olive oil (a bit strong) – the mac nut sound like a better choice.

Ooh, I will definitely have to pick some up next time I see it! I’ve stuck strictly to coconut oil and olive oil, but when it comes to scrambling my eggs, I don’t like the taste of either of those. Maybe macadamia nut oil is just what I need 🙂

Have used Mac nut oil for quite a few years now and as a substitute for veggie oil in most recipes. Even in baking the occasional bake good with, of course, my all purpose flour substitute of equal parts pure whey protein powder, flax meal, and almond or coconut flour depending on the texture I am needing.

got a question. Looking online for suppliers here in the UK, i can find macadamia nut oil on “hair/skincare” sites MUCH cheaper than on “bodybuilder/ nutrition” sites. Is this exactly the same stuff (pure oil obviously, not “perfumed” or something. Its even sold as a massage base oil)??

The difference between food grade and cosmetic grade is very subtle. The oil used in skin care products is refined a little further to remove the characteristic odor and therefore the flavor that is best for cooking. We have been manufacturing both in Hawaii for over 22 years. Aloha!

Hey Bruce, I wouldn’t chance it. The cause of the toxicity to dogs is still unknown. It happened to my dog a few years ago. Friends were feeding him the nuts at their home. The next morning he could not walk – temporary paralysis of the hindquarters. The emergency vet ($$) took x-rays and had no idea. He was fine within a couple of hours.

I wouldn’t worry too much about dogs eating macadamia nuts. We grow macadamia nuts and my dog loves them – she manages to bite through that hard shell and get to the nut inside. No way I could stop her as the trees drop the nuts when they are ripe and she is an outdoor dog who finds them herself. I think it may be that in large quantities – for instance a small dog eating a lot, that the problems occurs. My girl is about 80 lbs and looks to me like she eats maybe 5 or 6 nuts a day from the shells I find around her pillow on the porch. She is totally healthy and full of energy and I see no reaction to eating the nuts.

Going to have to try macadamia oil after reading all that. I have been using mainly coconut and olive oil, but neither of those is very good in homemade mayo. Might try this in some of my natural beauty recipes as well.

A new trend I’ve noticed is the proliferation of alchemical combinations of industrial seed oils and natural oils purporting to have the best of both worlds. I was horrified to discovered my local bar no longer carries grass fed beef and had switched from tallow to Canolive (Canola + Olive oil).

I haven’t tried making macademia nut butter, but I suppose the process is very similar to making almond butter. I buy a jar of macademia but butter now and again, and it has a very neat, sweet, mild taste to it. Very addicting though and you can’t eat whole lot becasue it’s soooo rich.

About the nuts themselves, I just asked around and found a site where you can buy pesticide/chemical free macadamia nuts online, for $15/lb (Not sure how good the price is due to not having seen them before); http://www.nutsonline.com/nuts/macadamianuts/

I pay $4 a kilo for unshelled nuts(sensational fresh taste as compared to the cracked nut) and about $6.50 a litre for the oil. Last century I purhased a kilo of nuts with a crack.a.mac cracker for $10 and I probably get through 2 or 3 kilos a month depending on availability. If enough people are interested I may be able to supply.

Thanks, this is so great to know. I have been using some macadamia oil (Melrose brand here in Australia) as a salad dressing – but I was so worried about it going rancid quickly. The last thing you want after spending so much money on the oil, is for it to be rancid. This post has made me feel more comfortable – and I have just gone and taken my bottle out of the fridge (where it becomes almost too thick to use) and put it back in the pantry!

I’m so lucky to live in Australia, home of the macadamia nut 😀
I use Suncoast Gold Vitality extra-virgin cold-pressed mac oil for salads, mayonnaise and skin moisturiser (will try shaving my legs with it next time, good idea!).
I don’t find it that expensive, $8 for 1/2 a litre is about the same as a mid-range bottle of EV olive oil.

I not only dislike the taste of olive oil but am extremely allergic to it – gives me bad gut problems if I ingest it and a nasty eczema if it touches my skin – so I haven’t used it for more than 20 years (and can’t even look at the stuff without a shudder). The main oils we now use for cooking, salads etc are macadamia oil and sometimes peanut oil.

We also live in Australia: near the north coast of NSW which is an area where macadamias are native. There is a huge tree in our garden, currently laden with yummy nuts……the only problem is trying to open those incredibly tough shells!

So yes it seems strange to see other people writing that it is “too expensive”. Several good brands of the oil are stocked in all the local supermarkets at reasonable cost. “Suncoast Gold” is the usual one we buy, and at around $6.50-7.00 for a 500ml bottle it seems like good value for such a great product, especially compared to the overpriced EV OOils on adjacent shelves.

Thanks Robert. I had not gotten that far in Nourishing Traditions yet, which apparently has a section on this. Just had a quick search though, and I will now be soaking my macadamia nuts in salt water overnight to solve this problem. The problem is not only phytic acid for nuts, but also enzyme inhibitors.

Macadamia is great oil – I’ve used it before and kind of forgot about it, so thanks for the reminder. I am going to try it in my on-stove grill pan AND in my hair, as conditioner ….

Olive oil works wonders for that You can put it in your hair for as short as 20 minutes (and as long as 2 days, which I’ve done at the beach). Just rub a little in your hands (about 3/4 tbs for long hair) and rub it through. It washes out completely with plain old shampoo. Gives you the softest, shiniest hair ever. (So conditioner is a complete waste of money). Anyway – I’m going to try macadamia oil or this and see how it compares. 🙂

I….am a self confessed….Private Selection Macadamia nut-ahollic! Once I pop open the jar, I just can’t put the damn things down! Which, considering how calorically dense they are, it’s not necessarily a good thing.

I’ve maintained for a long time that the Mac-nut is near enough a perfect low-carb food. With its fatty-acid profile being so heavily skewed in the MUFA direction, a decent amount of protein, and very few carbs, it’s been my favorite snack for a while.

Bruce, from where I come from QLD, Australia, there are heaps of macadamia nuts. And I love its buttery like flavour and taste. It’s definitely my fav nuts. This post is packed full of info though. Didn’t know that it has squalene in it and gosh using it as a shaving cream? Now that’s very primal 😀

I buy Oils of Aloha mac nut oil by the gallon and use it for everything we saute, for making salad dressings and mayonnaise, in the low-carb baked goods I make and I put it on my face too. Oils of Aloha produces both edible and cosmetic products and their oils are superlative. I live in Hawaii so that makes the products easier to obtain, but they have an excellent website where orders can be filled and delivered across the globe.

Second, I have a “Misto” oil sprayer – you know, the kind you fill up on your own, pump, and spray. I’m noticing that the oil that I put in the sprayer has a more pungent scent to it after a few days – do these sprayers increase rancidity? What is your opinion on these? I don’t like to just pour the oil on the salad, because then the spices that I sprinkle over don’t stick as well. It’s also nice to spray on fish and other dishes right before serving, to give them that extra “glisten.”

If anyone knows about rancidity in these self-pump misters, I would really appreciate the information.

I have been looking into the benefits of Macadamia Oil versus Argan Oil for hair care, as not only are these oils great for cooking/salad dressing they are said to have amazing results when used on the hair and skin. Thanks.

Hi there, my name is Andre and I am growing and pressing mac nut oil. I am certified organic and use a german build expellar. The coulor of the oil is clear with a light yellowish shine (like a souvignon blanc vine). I never had a dark yellow coulor. What causes the differnce in coulor between the two types of mac nut oil available?

I use Macadamia Nut Oil in place of all other cooking oils. Love it. I get mine from Oilsofaloha.com This company is in Hawaii, always has the freshest product since they are the ones who make it. I love their flavored oils for popcorn and dressings, and of course their plain oil for cooking. Oh, and they ship internationally.

I am growing and pressing organic mac nut oil here in South Africa. My oil has a clear apperance and a very light yellowish colour. There are other mac oils with a more honey like yellow colour. Does someone know where the difference commes from?

I just purchased a great organic cold pressed macadamia nut oil made by Life Flo out of Phoenix, AZ from a natural foods store here in Arkansas. I definitely like it better than olive oil for flavor. I used it in sauteing salmon burgers by pouring it over the top and it made them much more moist and tasty. Did not notice the flavor change as salmon is strong flavored, but it definitely made them tastier.

We are a small family macadamia farm in Southern California and are new to the retail market. Right now, we have raw nuts (shelled and cracked) available for sale and are working toward having macadamia flour (all macs, not a mix of other things) available in early 2013. Also in the works are smoked nuts; we’ll see how they turn out.

If I can find an affordable oil press (and another local farm to supply nuts; I imagine oil would take a large quantity), I would consider making that available, as well.

If anyone has a suggestion, I am very happy to learn as I go. So glad to see people enjoying macadamia nuts as much as we do!

Check out Fred Pescatore’s research – Hamptons Health Clinic. Macadamias are native to Australia and have weight loss benefits if grown in Australia. As an Australian I have eaten macadamias (known as Queensland nuts before they were marketed) all my life – as a kid picked them up from undere the trees and cracked them with Dad’s hammer. They are native to SE Qld and far nthn NSW. To make mayo I use half extra virgin olive oil and half macadamia oil. I am able to buy macadamia oil in Queensland at my local supermarket and health shop. Just Google and you are sure to find plenty of Australian sites to buy it from. Also, get raw nuts, don’t buy roasted nuts, you don’t know what they are roasted in. The flavour of roasting macadamias is wonderful – the family will be lining up. I usually eat mine raw as a snack, but great roasted in salads or desserts – try adding freshly roasted to vanilla icecream, or use in biscuits (cookies for Americans!). The best nut in the world – make sure you buy Australian.

Hey, just to let everyone know, my family has a Certified Organic Macadamia Farm in NSW called “Hand ‘N’ Hoe Organic Macadamia’s” our nuts actually made the final for the Australian ABC Delicious Awards in 2011, we are the only nut product to make the final… We do macadamia kernel, butter, plain (unsalted) kernel,honey roasted and Belgium choc coated (dark,milk,white) we have a Facebook page so if anyone is interested by all means like use n help us get the macadamia’s out in the world

We love this stuff. After buying a small bottle of it at Whole Foods, I ordered the gallon size from Oils of Aloha. They tell me Whole Foods will special order the larger sizes on request. Apparently stores don’t normally stock the gallon size because it takes up too much shelf space.I opted for mail order or UPS delivery here in Honolulu, which was only $9. .

Have been buying Macadamia oil at a local farm in Medowie ( NSW Australia) not far from home. I love the stuff, top quality and not too expensive ( $10 Australian – 500ml ). It’s a beautiful oil for all manner of uses. Great for cooking, ingesting or as a skin moisturizer. Would highly recommend it to all. 🙂 Oh yeah it gives a nice glow and golden color to skin when used as “sunscreen”.

Macadamia oil is aaah-mazing for dry, irritated, inflamed skin. Regardless of how well I eat, my skin is an issue…ahem, WAS an issue…until I hooked it up with some deliciousness…I call thee, Mac Oil! Since washing my face with honey or mac oil(the oil cleansing method), leaving my face damp and gently rubbing in some mac oil….no more redness, irritation, occasional breakouts. Now I enjoy smooth, glowy, and creamy facial skin. Coconut oil was too much for my hair and skin and I began despising eating eggs cooked in it. Mac oil to the rescue….again!!

Hi, thanks for this great share, love your article. I recently bought Macadamia Oil Deep Repair Mask and I am really satisfied. I had VERY damaged hair from a recent perm that didn’t take to my hair, so I was left with frizzy and dry hair. Well, this masque fixed all the damage!

Hi, I love Mahina Mele Farm’s certified organic Macadamia Nut Oil. They’re a small family farm, which is cool, and the only certified organic macadamia nut processor in the US. If you’re interested, they just opened a new online store: https://mahina-mele-organic-farm.myshopify.com/

Lucky us! Three years ago we bought a little, neglected macadamia farm in the mountains of Costa Rica. We fertilized and trimmed our thirty year old trees and now have bumper crops of gorgeous nuts. Just three days ago we received our Dutch built hand cranked oil extractor. This morning I produced three 12 ounce bottles of macadamia oil. We cooked our mahi-mahi and mashed yucca in the oil for lunch. The fish did not stick and the meal was delicious with no adverse or “off” flavors. We found that the oil spillage did not go to waste as we applied it to our crows feet, elbows and hands. Twelve hours later I can still feel the soft improvement to my skin……………….gosh I love macadamias!

these nuts are mesmerising perfect companion for travelling and immediate energy.I am from India we don,t have these growing in India. I am lucky to have friends in Australia. they don,t leave my shelf empty. I love macs the most besides almonds.I wish we have availability in India for a fair price,after reading this article I am going to try the oils also.good to know the company in Hawaii which ships them .Thanks

I have been using MacNutt macadamia nut oil from Amazon for several years now, both as a cooking and a salad oil. I love the VERY light nutty flavor (much less pronounced than coconut oil) in my salads and it doesn’t affect the flavor of eggs when I use it for frying.

My cholesterol and triglycerides levels have also improved significantly since I started using the Mac oil, but this may be primarily due to my almost simultaneous initiation of a low-carb diet that incorporates the mac oil. I’ve also dropped 55 pounds and my blood glucose and insulin levels have dropped significantly, but I attribute this to the low-carb diet, not specifically the mac oil. However, the mac oil has been an integral part of the diet since I started it and it seems to help a lot with satiety. I also prefer its taste over coconut oil.

I just bought my first bottle of Olivado Macadamia Nut Oil (£11.98 for 250ml) with my monthly order of Olivado Avocado Oil (£12.98 for 250ml) — great stuff! And unlike with Olive Oil, don’t have to worry about counterfeits, as Olivado uses only their own associate farms. I get mine from Perfectly Paleo (co.uk) where I also purchase my raw macadamia nuts. I’ve always loved macadamias, but had given them up when I was told “they’re too fatty” (obviously before we realised how essential good fats were). Now, I have a 30gr serving of raw macadamias about every third day, interspersed with almonds, pecans, and walnuts. And we use the oils for sauteeing, stir-frying, and salad dressings, plus 1-2 tablespoons of coconut oil reserved for “buttering” our veg. Yum! Who knew losing weight could taste so good!

I have started using Macadamia Nut Oil in lieu of any other oils due to the lack of Vitamin K. Having had open heart surgery, being forced to take Warfrin. Macadamia nut oil contains NO vitamin K.This works out well for me since I happen to be one of the few whose body adapts and must increase the daily dose of blood thinner Warfrin every 3 months. Using this oil in time of need, I can be sure it will not interfere with my weekly INR blood work.

I am highly lactose intolerant and wary of using even ghee. I eat very lean meats and do not care for eggs, so my main source of saturated fat is coconut oil. I noticed that this does not contain palmitic acid. Can the body make palmitic acid from the MCFA’s/lauric acid in coconut oil, then make palmitoleic acid out of that? Or do I have to use a direct source of palmitic and/or palmitoleic acid, such as cocoa butter and/or macadamia oil to get what I need?

We tried the macadamia oil from http://www.bigskyfoods.com for our cooking and was brilliant!! we hadnt tried before but noticed the difference in cooking and with the food. We did research first and http://www.bigskyfoods.com.au macadamia oil is original native oil from eastern Australia, the one and only macadamia oil!!

So you’re not concerned about the palmitic acid enhancing de novo lipogenesis–that is, the creation of fatty acids from glucose and fructose? As a cancer survivor, I don’t want to risk the possibility of providing fuels, such as palmitic acid, that help cancer cells grow.

Has anyone heard of, or tried Taylor’s Pure & Natural brand Macadamia Nut Oil? Nora Gedgaudas refers to it in her new book, “Primal Fat Burner”. She says it’s available on Amazon, but I can’t seem to find it there.